There is a fair amount of confusion when it comes to Android TV and Smart TVs. When you Google “Android TV” you often see images of TVs from JVC and Sky Glass to Samsung and HiSense TVs. It is fair to assume that an Android TV is an actual TV set, but that is not the case. An Android TV is simply a device with the Android framework added into it. A Smart TV is simply a TV that allows you to add apps onto it.
Defining an Android TV
When people say they have an Android TV, what they have is a smart TV operating system based on Android. It is a framework and infrastructure developed by Google for television sets, for digital media players, for set-top boxes and for soundbars.
Defining a Smart TV
A Smart TV comes with an operating system that we more closely associate with an operating system you see on a PC or mobile device. It is an operating system that allows you to add apps. In some cases, the apps come pre-installed and you cannot change or remove t. However, in most modern cases, you can add apps to your Smart TV the same way you add apps to your Smartphone.
Which is Best?
On the very surface of the matter, a Smart TV is what you call every TV that allows you to add apps. Therefore, asking which is best is like asking if a Volvo car is better than all other cars. When it comes down to it, you face a choice, and that choice is if you buy an Android TV or a different type of Smart TV. Some people like the Android Smart TV because they know and understand the Android operating system from their Smartphone. Other people don’t fancy an Android TV and so pick a different Smart TV.
Which is Most Expensive?
You can go to a company like Letbuybest.com and get a reasonably priced Smart TV. You can search through the TVs to find one that is an Android TV, or search through to try a different Smart TV. In a perfect world, all the TVs would have an open operating system so that you could add any operating systems infrastructure that you like, but that is not the case with Smart TVs. For example, Sony may have its own Smart TV infrastructure. It may have its own built-in apps or may have its own store so that you may pick and choose the apps you add.
What About Set Top Devices?
In some cases, if you are really hungry for an Android operating system, but the TV you want has its own version of a Smart TV infrastructure, then you could use a set-top box instead. For example, if you want to watch using the Shudder app, but your TV won’t allow it, you could buy an Android set-top box, find the Shudder app, and then watch it through the set-top box.
The only problem with this method is that it doesn’t always work. For example, let’s say you want to install the VLC media player app so you can watch family videos on faster playing speeds. The Android set-top box may not allow you to install VLC and/or may not allow you to stream your content over to your Smart TV.
What Do You Do Next?
In terms of advice going forwards, always opt for the best possible Smart TV. You may think it smarter to aim only for Android Smart TVs and so restrict your search to just those, but if you only look at Android TVs, then you are missing out on a world of Smart TVs. Take your time and open your mind to the many Smart TV options because you can get some great ones for a relatively low price.
